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| Summary |
 This report provides estimates of wine grape production for the 2006-07 vintage, as well as production projections for 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. Estimates have been made for specialist wine grape, multi-purpose and minor varieties in each of Australia’s wine grape producing regions. |
| Wine grape production in 2006-07 |
| Wine grape production in 2006-07 is estimated to have been 1.4 million tonnes, which is approximately 27 per cent less than the 2005-06 harvest of 1.9 million tonnes. This reduction was caused by several factors, including dry seasonal conditions, limited availability of water for irrigation, frosts and bushfires. In contrast to previous drought years such as 2002-03 when warm climate areas were substantially affected, the decline in wine grape production in 2006-07 was greatest in cool climate regions. This was related to exceptionally adverse seasonal conditions in cool climate regions, including very low rainfall and frost. In the warm climate regions frosts were less frequent and there was irrigation water available, although at reduced levels. Reflecting the predominance of white varieties in warm climate regions, in 2006-07 the production of white wine grape varieties exceeded that of red varieties for the first time since 1998-99. By variety, chardonnay represented the largest proportion of total production (27 per cent), followed by shiraz (20 per cent) and cabernet sauvignon (13 per cent). |
| Wine grape production 2007-08 to 2009-10 |
| ABARE forecasts wine grape production in 2007-08 to be around 1.67 million tonnes, an increase of 19 per cent from 2006-07. Favourable seasonal conditions, particularly in cool climate regions, and better than expected production in the Riverina and Riverland, have helped boost production above estimates made earlier in the season. However, the lack of irrigation water in key production areas of south-east Australia is expected to keep this year’s harvest 13 per cent lower than the record 2004-05 crop. Following improved seasonal conditions in cool climate regions, production of red wine grape varieties is expected to increase relatively more than that of white wine grape varieties in 2007-08. Production of both red and white wine grape varieties in warm climate regions is likely to remain constrained by continued shortages of irrigation water. Assuming average seasonal conditions, ABARE forecasts wine grape production in 2008-09 to be 1.78 million tonnes. This expectation is based on an average yield of 10.1 tonnes per hectare and incorporates the relatively small increases in bearing area from plantings that have occurred in the past three years. Production of red varieties is expected to be greater than that of white varieties, a return to the historical norm after the unusual predominance of white varieties in 2006-07. Continuing this trend, wine grape production is projected to reach 2.0 million tonnes in 2009-10. |
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estimated production |
projected production |
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2006-07 |
2007-08 |
2008-09 |
2009-10 |
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Kt |
kt |
kt |
kt |
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| Premium white | |||||
| Chardonnay | 381 |
413 |
419 |
477 |
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| Colombard | 57 |
51 |
52 |
72 |
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| Semillon | 77 |
88 |
94 |
103 |
|
| Other | 118 |
145 |
155 |
181 |
|
| Total | 633 |
697 |
720 |
833 |
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| Non premium white | 7 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
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| Premium red | |||||
| Cabernet sauvignon | 186 |
255 |
274 |
286 |
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| Merlot | 95 |
114 |
125 |
138 |
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| Shiraz | 286 |
388 |
434 |
467 |
|
| Other | 63 |
76 |
79 |
85 |
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| Total | 630 |
833 |
912 |
976 |
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| Non premium red | 22 |
27 |
27 |
30 |
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| Total a | 1 397 |
1 668 |
1 780 |
1 998 |
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| a Total includes multipurpose and minor varieties not reported above. | |||||